Atheist (Technical Death Metal)

Biography

The genius of ATHEIST has been floating through the Metal solar system for 20 years to the delight of many. Yet now Jupiter will align with the ears of planet Earth to redefine the way Technical Metal is written, heard, and played with their long awaited 4th studio recording "Jupiter". The next generation of extreme Metal fans demanded a new album after witnessing the US band's triumphant return to the stage in 2006. ATHEIST already gained a legendary reputation for their first releases "Piece of Time" (1990) and even more so "Unquestionable Presence" (1991), which many historians of extreme music consider to be the very mould from which Technical Metal has been cast. While the band seemed to stand alone on a street corner of Jazz Fusion Death Metal with "Elements" (1993) it turns out that a multitude of today's top notch Metal acts name ATHEIST as their main influence. Featuring the most thought, provoking and controversial lyrics penned and performed by singer and co-founding member Kelly Shaefer, "Jupiter" sets the technical songwriting bar 10 years ahead of the rest of the world. Its massively catchy gravitational madness is captured by renowned Jason Suecof's production and mix, which makes the album easily more brutal than the planet's "Great Red Spot". Where "Jupiter" leads, others will follow. Join this historic exploration of Technical Metal space now!

Despite being routinely ignored in recitals of death metal's roll of honour, Atheist have played an enormously important part in the genre's evolution, particularly in terms of technical dexterity and the assimilation of jazz and avant-garde elements. Alongside Cynic's much-revered Focus and Pestilence's much-maligned Spheres, the Floridians' third album Elements denoted a significant milestone in extreme music's mutation; a self-evident antecedent for the fretboard athleticism of Dillinger Escape Plan, The Faceless and Necrophagist. Even before Elements, Atheist were redefining what was possible for metal musicians, and so it's heart-warming to hear that, 17 years on, this reformed incarnation of the band are still attacking their instruments with evangelical fervour, cramming in as many notes, tempo shifts and brain-melting time signatures as they can and yet still exhibiting the ability to mould the chaos into smart and coherent songs with hooks galore. The creative core of vocalist/guitarist Kelly Schaefer and drummer Steve Flynn clearly have an intuitive understanding of what Atheist represents and how it should sound, and so although Jupiter is by no means a lazy retread of past glories, it does resonate with the febrile spirit of the early 90s. There is also a sense that Schaefer and Flynn have expanded their own remit to include a few choice influences that seldom emerged first time round. Opening track Second To Sun absolutely reeks of Voivod, the spectre of the legendary Canadians' brittle angularity and taste for dissonance adding otherworldly fuel to their adherents' blazing fretwork and maelstrom of interwoven rhythms. Like everything else on Jupiter, there is too much going on to be absorbed in one hit, but the craft and class on offer is more than apparent. The schizophrenic and spite-driven Faux King Christ provides another crucial highlight, with its jarring dynamics and bursts of hateful thrash, while closer Third Person threatens to take Atheist into unusually melodic territory before erupting into a more typically deranged and densely-layered exercise in brutal showboating. Whether Jupiter will be regarded as a worthy successor to classic albums like Unquestionable Presence and Elements remains to be seen, but what is beyond doubt is that Atheist have reconvened with great focus, pride and determination. For their immense skill and unswerving passion, they are reborn as a force to rival any of death metal's foremost deities.

Dom Lawson

Thoughts by The Dillinger Escape Plan - Oct 2010

Some of the most jaw droppingly forward thinking death metal of their time, and now seventeen years later once again they're raising the bar. The sound they pioneered and developed picks up without missing a beat, and the band's proficiency, originality, and vision frankly shames most of the technical metal bands that started in their absence. This is an unbelievable return, more than any fan could have ever asked for. New and old listeners, and any fan of good metal for that matter, should be blown away.

Greg Puciato

Thoughts by Dark Tranquillity - Oct 2010

Atheist's Jupiter. After such a long time, they return with an album that manages to sounds amazingly hungry and contemporary while at the same time being everything we loved about them back in the day. It's a mind-blowing release from one of metal's most original bands, and I'd be very surprised if it doesn't end up being the album of the year for a lot of people.

Niklas Sundin

Thoughts by Suffocation - Oct 2010

Atheists' "Jupiter" is one of the most important gifts given to a metal community in need of authentic, influential direction. Thank you, for restoring hope and securing the foundation.